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Ptolemos
Ptolemos is an irritable and egotistical Zamorakian Mahjarrat roleplayed by Ptolemos. He's currently residing in the ruins of an ancient Dragonkin site. History Freneskae and the Sundered Sea (A work in progress! Subject to change.) Ptolemos was born in the region known as the Sundered Sea. Its name came from folklore his tribal elders often spoke of: the Creator-God, enraged by the actions of His creations, split the sea in His fury. Under His wrath, the seabed crumbled and collapsed whilst newly-formed gorges and ravines drained the seawater. The former sea became a barren wasteland, and served as a warning to all mortals on Freneskae. In time, steep crags, formed from the shifting of tectonic plates, jutted up from the marred earth. Only a few of the nomadic tribes dared cross the godforsaken region. Ptolemos' tribe, however, had no choice. The elders spoke often of their tribe's history, such as how they were forced to withdraw into it by an aggressive tribe, and the hardships they suffered while travesing the land. Several tribesmen and women died, and many more would have surely followed if they hadn't learned how to till the earth. The tribe eventually built a settlement high above their fields, in the face of a crag. where it prospered, shielded from the elements of Freneskae and enemy tribes. Ptolemos was raised as a warrior for his tribe. He was brash and hotheaded, with little patience for hunting or agriculture. He preferred to fight with his kin on the battlefield where the magic flowing from his hands came as natural to him as the sharp words passing his lips. Other tribes learned of their success in cultivation and grew jealous; they wanted the crops for themselves. They attacked frequently, but were repelled due to the strategic placement of the settlement. In time, the number of assaults dwindled until they became infrequent. Ptolemos' tribe continued to flourish. Some of the elders attributed their prosperity to the Creator-God and worshipped Him. Others, however, refused to do so. Because of their conflicting religious beliefs, infighting erupted. It persisted for centuries until the tribe finally split; those that worshipped the Creator-God forced the nonbelievers from the settlement, but at a great cost. Many men, women, and children on each side were killed, and the settlement severely damaged. Those that left took with them a large portion of the settlement's store, bringing about a dark age for the settlement. As Ptolemos grew, so did his pride. He became reckless on the battlefield, which led to him and other warriors sustaining injuries. The tribal elders grew concerned by his actions and spoke to him about it. Ptolemos, in response, accused them of being envious, among other things. They argued until Ptolemos, infuriated and humiliated, left the settlement. The elders grew worried; there was nothing more dangerous than a young mind clouded by emotions. They were right. Ptolemos sought revenge on the tribal elders. He knew of another tribe some distance east of the settlement that had attacked several times until their last effort left them crippled. Ptolemos could recall killing at least four of their tribesmen in the past. He knew they might kill him as soon as they saw him, but he wasn't afraid. They may certainly try, he told himself. But they will fail. Fortunately for Ptolemos, the tribe didn't. They did, however, demand to know why he came. They ordered scouts to investigate and ensure it wasn't some sort of trick. After they left, Ptolemos eagerly proposed an agreement with their tribal chief: he would lead their tribe to his settlement, undetected. All they needed to do was help him teach the tribal elders a lesson. After the scouts returned and reported all was clear, the tribal chief cautiously agreed to the proposal. Ptolemos' intentions were somewhat harmless. He only wanted to humiliate those that humiliated him. An eye for an eye, or so the saying went. What he didn't realize was that this tribe planned to use him to slaughter the tribe before turning on him. Arrival to Gielinor After taking his 'Oath of Obedience', Ptolemos was brought to Gielinor by Icthlarin, the Menaphite god of the dead, along with rest of his race. He relished the battles held against Zarosian forces and, with the rest of the Mahjarrat, effectively prevented them from invading the Kharidian. However, when given the chance to fight with the Empty Lord's armies, Ptolemos immediately joined Him and left Icthlarin's service. He then went on to assist in the establishment of the Empty Lord's empire. The Schism Ptolemos was not actively engaged in the betrayal of the Empty Lord, though he did notice the tell-tale signs of change. By then, however, it was too late. Although Ptolemos fought against Zamorak's conspirators, it proved futile; the Empty Lord was seemingly destroyed by Zamorak, while the latter was promptly banished by the gods for his actions. Ptolemos tried to defend the dying empire until the news of Zamorak's return reached him. God Wars Ptolemos was envious of Zamorak's ascension, but dared not fight against him; instead, he allied himself with Zamorak and His army. He willingly aided in the eradication of any and all things associated with the Empty God, and eagerly volunteered to participate in the Elder-Demon Thammaron's siege on Uzer. He was nearly slain in battle when Azzanadra, a vengeful Zarosian mahjarrat, unleashed his fury upon the Zamorakian forces. Although grievously wounded, he managed to escape during the chaos that ensued. Ptolemos spent the remainder of the God Wars in hibernation, his power drained from his encounter with Azzanadra at Uzer. Ultimately, it prevented him from attending the next ritual of rejuvenation. Post-God Wars By the beginning of the Fourth Age, Ptolemos had still not yet fully recovered. His wavering strength kept him from attending the next ritual. He began to research other means of rejuvenating himself. Unfortunately, he did not get very far. His plight had not gone unnoticed; before long, his enemies sought him out and subdued him. They imprisoned him within a temple and cast it over the cliffside, where the resulting avalanche buried it deep beneath the earth, hidden from the sights and sounds of the world above. Ptolemos suffered greatly during his two millennia imprisonment. His perception of time was all but lost, and he often found himself reliving memories from his past. For several decades he believed himself in Freneskae, alone and abandoned by his kin; a whole century spent tormented by the wrathful Azzanadra. It was a nightmare he could not wake from, that he could not escape...until the Fifth Age. A party of adventurers stumbled upon the partially caved in entrance to the temple Ptolemos was bound within. Their naive plundering inadvertently freed him. Although delirious at first, he soon regained clarity and interrogated his rescuers. Afterwards, he felt obliged to requite them: a quick death felt appropriate and was promptly delivered. Freed from his imprisonment at last, Ptolemos happily reintroduced himself to the world. Present Time The following events have already transpired and may be elaborated upon in later sections: *Ptolemos meets another Zamorakian mahjarrat named Kemses. The two frequent the ritual site, trading information about current events and of their Zarosian kin. Kemses also introduces Ptolemos to the residual energy left behind by the Stone of Jas and, together, the two erect a magical ward in front of the cave that leads to where the energies are at their strongest. *Ptolemos meets and allies with several other Zamorakian mahjarrat. These include: Raine, Drachmus, and Altanquin. He also shows interest in an agreement with the Zarosian half-mahjarrat Tenebra. *Ptolemos meets and fights a Zarosian mahjarrat named Azulra. *Ptolemos poses as an emissary sent by Zamorak and enlists the aid of several dozen chaos monks to restore the temple he was imprisoned in. *Ptolemos attends a rejuvenation ritual and is successfully rejuvenated. *Ptolemos is deceived and captured by Arachnea, a Zarosian mahjarrat. He is released by Arachnea after she forces an ivory bracelet onto him. He's unsure of its purpose. Ptolemos removes the bracelet by amputating his hand. It's currently being held in Arachnea's Vault. *Fykeric meets with Leila Kala Aren and implores her to get others so they can stop Ptolemos. He discusses his visions of other individuals they can try to recruit. *Ptolemos' death knight tries to recruit bandits for protection. Although their leader refuses, the death knight allows the others three days to think the offer over. She returns and negotiates with a new bandit leader in return for their service. Death Knight Rosaline continues to recruit men and women for Ptolemos' cause, as well as gather information for him. *Ptolemos meets a mahjarrat tribe who've been searching for Azulra ever since she betrayed them. After being informing of her death, they leave him, but not before their leader calls him his nephew. *Ptolemos meets with Kemses to inform him of recent goings-on. He discovers one of Kemses' army's camps razed to the ground. He questions Kemses and is introduced to a survivor. The survivor, who's actually Drok in disguise, leaves and Ptolemos talks with Kemses in private. Shortly after, they're attacked by Drok and the creature responsible for destroying the camp: a dragonkin! Ptolemos suggests to his ally that they use the hobgoblin as a distraction. He then flees, leaving Kemses and Drok to fend for themselves. *Ptolemos is brought into Dissidious' realm, along with others, where they are trapped until they're able to remove whatever's keeping them from leaving. The party, led by Dissidious, head for a city not far from them. They encounter more mahjarrat and one of Dissidious' beasts, which they manage to subdue. The Ritual of Rejuvenation (2012) Ptolemos attended the upcoming ritual and was eager to receive the power he thought he deserved. After teleporting to the plateau and positioning himself next to Kemses, Ptolemos observed the rest of his kins' arrival. It was a formidable sight to behold: neutral, Zarosian, and Zamorakian mahjarrat alike all formed a ring before the marker. A few of the Mahjarrat began the ritual by nominating others, and when no one volunteered, the politics soon dissolved into insults and bickering. Suddenly, a name came up and stuck: Baylon, one of the weaker of their kind with few allies. The majority of the Mahjarrat were more than happy to sacrifice him, but that didn't satisfy everyone - especially Ptolemos. When a mahjarrat named Kisbeth started attacking Baylon, Ptolemos stepped forward and tried to break them apart, arguing that the pitiful Baylon should be saved for the next ritual, and that a stronger one should instead be chosen. His words were ignored by most and Baylon was brought before the marker. Ptolemos didn't like that, nor did Baylon's allies. Baylon was freed just in time, sparking a battle among the power hungry Mahjarrat. Many began crowding around the marker, hoping to receive more power than the rest, when a new sacrifice was chosen. The unfortunate mahjarrat was sacrificed, her life essence used to revitalize her kin. For the first time in over two millennia...Ptolemos was rejuvenated. The Ancient Dragonkin Site Long before the rejuvenation ritual happened, Ptolemos and Kemses were trying to track down the Stone of Jas. Familiar with the Stone's energy signature, the duo began their search. It took some time, but Kemses and his troops were successful, and found an energy signature. Unfortunately, angry dwarves were between them and the source. A stalemate ensued; neither the dwarves nor Kemses' men would back down. The dwarves eventually grew impatient and sent a negotiator over. The dwarf, known by his men as Commander Berli Goronhad, explained their situation to the leader of Kemses' troops: an emerging mining company had ordered them to search the area after hearing from a reliable source that something valuable might be there. If they were to return empty-handed, they would be shamed and exiled. The leader of Kemses' troops agreed to give them a considerable amount of gold ore they recovered during their stay if, and only if, the dwarves left. The dwarves obliged and honored their end of the deal, but not before collapsing the tunnel behind them to ensure they wouldn't be followed. Time flowed by, the ritual came and passed, and the cavern was all but forgotten. That was until Rosaline, a devout chaos monk at the time, received a vision. It exposed her to Ptolemos and his plans. She became enamored with the mahjarrat and decided to aid him. Rosaline used the vision as guidance and discovered the journal of Karir Zeknof in the Forinthry Ossuary. She read it and learned its contents. Karir was a dwarf miner, and a survivor of a mysterious incident that occurred during a mining expedition beneath the Dwarven Realms in the Fourth Age. He recounted what exactly happened in his journal: the tunnel his party was in collapsed, revealing a large cavern with great statues of what could only be translated as tall, humanoid dragons. He also described an arch leading into a wall, and some sort of mechanism in front of it. Before the party could investigate further, a dragon appeared and attacked them. Many of the miners were killed before they could escape and collapse the tunnels behind them. Those that survived described the event to their king who, acting in his people's best interest, sworn them to secrecy. Ptolemos was, by this time, captured by Arachnea. A worried Fykeric, the High Clerist of the order that Rosaline was a member of, returned to the Forinthry Ossuary. They worked together discovered that Ptolemos was indeed alive. An overjoyed Rosaline then turned on Fykeric and struck him down. She assumed the position of High Clerist, though in reality, Zamorak had abandoned her and left her unable to call upon His power. She immediately sent into motion Ptolemos' plan, while continuing to search for him. One of her self-appointed tasks was to retrieve bane ore, which she did after meeting with Kemses; a dozen cartloads of the precious metal were delivered to the Forinthry Ossuary. It didn't come as a surprise to Rosaline when she learned of Ptolemos' "escape." He was, after all, a powerful mahjarrat. She approached him and informed him of what transpired during his absence. Impressed, Ptolemos made her his pupil. The two began plotting; Ptolemos started to search for the ancient Dragonkin site, while Rosaline set out to find the necessary components for the ritual her master was planning: wyvern hide, a phoenix quill, and dragon's blood. Ptolemos met with Kemses after recalling the cavern they discovered long ago. They travelled there and searched the area, eventually finding an impassable collapsed tunnel. Ptolemos is determined to get through the debris and decided to bring some of his monks to help clear it; Kemses volunteers his own troops to help. When Ptolemos returned to the Forinthry Ossuary to gather a few monks, he brought back with him the bane ore Rosaline acquired for him. When he wasn't digging, he spent a lot of his time experimenting with it, as well as experimenting on Arachnea's bracelet. Following a few weeks of hard work, Ptolemos sent a message to Kemses and informed him he was close to clearing the tunnel. He also included that many of the monks and soldiers swore they heard strange noises, though he doubted it was real. The message would take a while to reach Kemses, and by the time that it did, Ptolemos and his men had finished clearing the tunnel. Ptolemos eagerly ran ahead and was overjoyed when he saw what lay before him: the ancient Dragonkin site. He recognized the arch and the mechanism as described in the journal. Examining them revealed the arch to be a deactivated portal and the mechanism its switch. Much to his chagrin, Ptolemos realized that he needed a power source to activate the portal. It was during that time that the dragon attacked. In his haste, Ptolemos forgot to properly examine his surroundings. The site was in a state of disrepair; it was at least thirty feet long and twenty feet wide, and would've been even larger if the floor opposite of the deactivated portal hadn't collapsed in on itself, revealing a network of tunnels that stretched gods-know-how-long. It was within these tunnels where the dragon had resided for centuries, preying on the creatures stumbling through the dark. It immediately attacked the unaware Ptolemos with its firebreath and talons. It was unfortunate enough that the dragon had caught him off guard. What was even worse was the fact that he couldn't cast a spell. Try as he might, Ptolemos couldn't use any magic. Too late, he realized. An anti-magic field surrounded the site, dispelling all enchantments and nullifying any type of magical spell. Ptolemos was weak once more, just as he had been for several centuries. He did the only thing he could do: flee. He fled into the tunnels, hearing the screams of the monks and Kemses' troops as they were burned alive, torn apart, and feasted upon. His thoughts weren't about them; they were about his own safety and how he could beat the terrible beast. There was a rumbling noise ahead of him. The dragon! It knew these tunnels better than he did. Ptolemos turned on his heels and ran back to the site, his mind racing. He didn't recall picking up the iron hatchet, but only realized it was there in his hand a few minutes later. Another roar alerted him to the dragon's presence up ahead. It was as if the beast was playing with him. Ptolemos cursed himself for being such a fool. He retreated down another tunnel and found himself standing before the beast itself. Smoke curled from its flaring nostrils as flames licked its maw. The thing's beady orange eyes fixed on him, its intent clear. Ptolemos reacted instinctively and tried to cast a spell. To his amazement, a shaft of blazing white light soared from his hand and struck the dragon in its breast. It reeled, roaring in pain, and breathed fire towards him. A barrier of magical energy was enough to ward off the flames. Ptolemos grinned; he was in control now. Within a couple of minutes, the dragon was mutilated and trapped beneath a combination of rock and magic. Ptolemos had defeated it, but suffered several injuries. As he made to leave the tunnel, Ptolemos remembered having pocketed a piece of bane ore before they cleared the tunnels. He pried a scale from the dragon with the hatchet and concentrated. It took a great deal of his power, but he cast another spell—tune bane ore, and it worked. He finally succeeded in casting the spell! Ptolemos returned to mechanism's chamber and discovered Kemses and Thane already there. He was angry that they hadn't arrived sooner, but soon got over it. He told them a little about the site, how he learned of it, what he'd been through, and also about the anti-magic field. He then directed them through the original tunnel where the bodies of the monks and soldiers lay. At the edge of the anti-magic field, he stopped and told the other two to go ahead. They passed through the field and awaited him. Ptolemos began rolling up his right sleeve and explained to them about the bracelet he wore, how its enchantments wouldn't work within the field. Unfortunately, magic was out of the question, as well as tugging it off as it had already disappeared into his skin. He asked Kemses to look in the cart behind him and toss him the bane ore it held. Kemses did as requested and threw it over. Ptolemos placed it outside the anti-magic field and lifted his right hand. The hatchet in his left hand cleaved through his flesh, severing the bone and muscle with ease. He cried out and collapsed to his knees. The hatchet fell, and landed next to his severed right hand on the floor. Ptolemos tucked the bleeding stump into his robes; blood flowed from the stump, cut cleanly through right above where the bracelet had been put on him. Kemses and Thane remained silent and unmoving until Ptolemos asked for help. He then ordered them to place him next to the bane ore and his right hand. They did so, and watched as he cast the spell to tune the bane ore to his blood, bone, and flesh. He was successful once more, and presented his creation to the others before falling unconscious from sheer exhaustion. Ptolemos had made mahjarratbane. The Assault on Kemses' Fortress When he woke, Ptolemos was surprised to learn he was in Kemses' fortress. As it turned out, Kemses had brought Ptolemos back with him to recover. Ptolemos was worried; he believed Kemses had taken the mahjarratbane while he was unconscious. Fortunately for him, the precious metal was left alone; it lay on a pedestal next to his cot, along with his severed hand. He spent the rest of the week recuperating from the ordeal. Little did he know that Azulra's creation, Pingsan, witnessed the act through scrying. When Azulra was notified of he did, she grew afraid; the creation of mahjarratbane breached the terms of their alliance. She attacked the Forinthry Ossuary with her demons and slaughtered the few remaining chaos monks living there. During the assault, High Clerist Rosaline was wounded and taken prisoner by Azulra, but not before sending a message to Kemses. Azulra then met with Arachnea, whose interest was more on the bracelet still attached to his severed hand, and together they planned an attack on Kemses' fortress. Rosaline, at the behest of Azulra, is later sacrificed to revive Domino. Ptolemos had received the High Clerist's message by this point. He told Kemses to prepare his men, believing Azulra was going to come after him. He was proven somewhat right when her demonic forces assaulted Kemses' fortress, although he was unaware of Arachnea's participation. Shortly before the assault, Ptolemos awaited Azulra and her forces; his severed hand had been switched with Rosaline's own through the use of a magic spell. They spoke briefly before the demons charged. Ptolemos was unimpressed when they failed to penetrate the barrier surrounding the fortress. Kemses' men retaliated and managed to strike down a large number of Azulra's demons before the barrier was breached. Ptolemos retreated deeper into the fortress while Kemses' men fought against the onrush of demons. Azulra and Arachnea brought more reinforcements to aid in the battle, while Ptolemos summoned more of Kemses' men. Without Kemses there, however, his men were unable to defeat the attackers. Those that weren't killed then fled the fortress to regroup and recover after the devastating loss. Meanwhile, Ptolemos did not flee. Demonic scouts were ordered to search the fortress. They found another barrier, one they couldn't pass. It led to Ptolemos' room. From within, he spoke; his words were directed towards Azulra, trying to goad her into joining him. Azulra was unwilling, mostly because of the mahjarratbane; Ptolemos assured her Kemses held it. They shared more heated words before she relented. Azulra, along with an invisible Arachnea and a hellhound pup, teleported into Ptolemos' room. As soon as they materialized, Ptolemos activated his trap: glyphs of entanglement. He had inscribed them onto the floor below where they'd enter and above them on the ceiling. They were caught, bound. The glyphs' spell would last thirty seconds. He only needed ten. Reaching behind him, Ptolemos pulled a sheet off the pedestal, revealing a glowing glass globe. The magical energy he had stored within it was fluctuating at a dangerous rate. With the mahjarratbane visibly attached to his belt, Ptolemos told them it would explode soon, and prepared a teleportation spell. Azulra, still bound, prepared a magical shield to protect her from the energies, while Arachnea had others plans. As Ptolemos started to teleport off, Arachnea cast a spell to attach the globe to him. With a look of surprise, Ptolemos vanished, the globe teleporting him. A few seconds passed. The glyphs lost their power, the barrier outside the room dissipated. Ptolemos' aura winked out. The Bane of Zamorak Ptolemos, after teleporting into the dry air of the cavern, knew he had only seconds before the magical explosive device attached to him went off. He also knew, with a twinge of frustration, that trying to deactivate it would be a waste of said precious time; he had made the damn thing, and deactivating it was not part of the manual! Fortunately for him, he didn't need to. With trembling hands and a racing mind, Ptolemos crossed the threshold of the anti-magic field. The magic that kept the device attached to him immediately dissipated, while the device itself fell to the floor with a clatter where, upon impact, it exploded, releasing a torrent of magical energy. Ptolemos, shielded from the harmful explosion, couldn't help but sob in relief; the intense heat released from the explosion was nigh unbearable, even from his position within the anti-magic field. Ptolemos had underestimated Azulra, and it nearly cost him his life. But he was still alive, and he was angry. Angry at Azulra, at the gods...at himself. He'd let himself get caught like a mouse in a trap. Vowing to never make that mistake again, Ptolemos strode further into the ancient Dragonkin site. He decided to study the portal and the mechanism despite the fact that he couldn't use his magical spells. Figuring out the power source for the mechanism became his top priority. Some time later, a party of dwarves found Ptolemos. They'd come to investigate what the source of the explosion was. Ptolemos, promising vast riches, easily persuaded them to assist him. While never leaving the anti-magic field, he prepared a letter and sent one of the scouts from the party off to deliver it to Kemses. The message was written in their native tongue to ensure the privacy of its contents. The remaining dwarves stayed with him to provide sustenance. The dwarf eventually reached Kemses and gave him the letter. In it, Ptolemos revealed how he was trying to deceive the others to buy himself some time to finish his project. He asked Kemses to collect wyvern hide and a phoenix quill, the last of the components Ptolemos required for his ritual. He then went on to state that this was the last time he'd ask Kemses for anything, and that they should consider each other even afterwards. In the letter's postscript, Ptolemos told his ally to kill the dwarf, so he did. In the days following the letter's departure, Ptolemos' aura began to bleed through the anti-magic field. It would only be a matter of time before the other Mahjarrat would be able to sense him again. Ptolemos, too wrapped up in his own project, couldn't even begin to imagine what came next. Even inside the field he could sense something happened. Ptolemos stirred from his deep meditation and rose to his feet. The very earth around him seemed to sing, at least to Ptolemos. The dwarves didn't know what to make of it, describing it as an ill omen. Ptolemos wasn't quite sure either, but it was unlikely to be beneficial to his plans. To make matters worse, the anti-magic field now had no effect on his aura. The others could feel him now and would realize he was still alive, if they had even been deceived in the first place. He could remain here and try to hide, although someone would come eventually for him. He needed to make the first move, and fast. As he mulled the matter over, one of the dwarves approached him and informed him of movement outside the boundaries of the field. Ptolemos felt a chill go down his spine. Had they come already? He wasted no time; leaving the field, Ptolemos went to investigate. What he found surprised him. It was one of the monks from the Forinthry Ossuary. Lerok, Ptolemos recalled. Seeing the monk brought back memories of what High Clerist Rosaline told him long ago: Lerok was one of the few monks that went with her to Aspera Tower. She'd said he was killed, along with the others, by Leila Kala Aren, aka Arachnea. Yet Lerok was definitely not dead nor undead; he was alive and looked absolutely terrified. Ptolemos demanded answers and Lerok was more than willing to provide them. Lerok, along with another monk, Davin, had survived their encounter with Leila after signing some kind of contract she produced. They fled from the tower and eventually separated; Davin settled in Draynor Village while Lerok chose Lumbridge. They both agreed to abandon their faith and try to lead normal lives as bad they could. They didn't realize Arachnea had other plans for them. The contract she had them sign gave her their undying servitude. Returning home one evening, Lerok found a letter waiting for him. He was meant to deliver it to the Emissary. He found himself unable to disobey and did as he was told. Whether it was luck or a miracle, Lerok found him. Ptolemos immediately asked for the letter, which Lerok happily gave him, and read it. It was an invitation to a meeting Arachnea was holding. It also read that both Lerok and Davin were in no way bound to Arachnea. Ptolemos wasn't thrilled with the idea of going to a meeting, especially one held by Arachnea. He decided to go anyway, against his better judgment. It was better than waiting for them to come to him, and he'd at least receive answers. But before he left, Ptolemos needed to wrap up some unfinished business. Lerok was the first to die, struck down by Ptolemos' magic. It had to be done, Ptolemos reasoned. He was a liability and no amount of written promises would convince him otherwise. The dwarves were second to fall. Afterwards, Ptolemos teleported to Draynor Village and killed Davin as he slept. Another liability now gone. Ptolemos was pleased; it had been awhile since he last felt magic flow through him. Now he was ready to go to the meeting. Ptolemos wasn't the first to arrive. He could feel at least two others inside already, not counting Arachnea. Another was approaching—''Kisbeth. He could tell from the way she blasted her aura carelessly. Once inside, he and the others all sat around the table Arachnea was sitting at. There were five of them in total. Introductions were held; Mirrah was a new face, as was the half-mahjarrat Ellie. The reason they were summoned was revealed by Kisbeth: Guthix was dead, his edicts broken. Ptolemos' heart skipped a beat. ''The edicts were broken? He tried to appear indifferent, but he knew his eyes betrayed him. He was afraid. Nothing was preventing the gods from returning; Zamorak was coming, and he wasn't going to like what Ptolemos had been planning. The rest of the meeting was about voicing allegiances and Azulra. Ptolemos told the others he wasn't planning on being part of the wars to come. Another mahjarrat, Xolotl, joined them. It was time to leave, Ptolemos decided. Azulra was undoubtedly looking for him. After leaving the meeting, Ptolemos contacted Kemses. His ally informed him of where he could find the last two components he required for his ritual: a phoenix quill was in the possession of a Fremennik tribe while wyvern hide was held by the Chosen Battalion, a group of Bandosian-worshippers Ptolemos had met once before. He knew what to expect from the brutish louts. First, he paid a visit to the Fremennik tribe. After that, he launched an attacked against the Battalion. Things didn't go as planned at first—it seemed like they never did, but he was successful in the end. Now all that remained was the power source. Ptolemos, having spent days studying the mechanism, knew what to look for. He cast a strong divination spell and discovered it was being held in the Varrock Museum. He wasted no time; breaking into the museum and stealing the device was as simple as taking candy from a baby. Ptolemos now had all he needed to activate and perform his ritual. As he was setting up magical wards and defenses around the ancient Dragonkin site, Ptolemos was contacted by Azulra. She asked him to meet her and Thane at the ritual site. Ptolemos demanded that Thane ask him instead to make sure she wasn't trying to trick him. Thane did as requested, so he decided to humor her. Of course, not everything was as it appeared... They met in an abandoned citadel far above Gielinor's surface. True to his word, Thane was there, as was Evgeni. Azulra greeted Ptolemos in the keep by activating a teleblock around the entire structure, followed by a barrier to prevent any interruptions. The trap was sprung; Azulra talked while the other two attacked. Evgeni's energy attack bore a hole clean through Ptolemos' abdomen, Thane's spell successfully stunning him before he could react. Evgeni came close to performing a killing blow, but Azulra commanded him to stop and released a fire spell that struck Ptolemos head on. He fell forward, burnt and terribly wounded. Azulra instructed them to remove the mahjarratbane from him, which Thane did. She then asked for it, but Thane and Evgeni refused., both believing the weapon too powerful to exist—it had to be destroyed. An enraged Azulra lashed out at the two. Her demons swarmed the citadel and began to attack them. Amidst the chaos, Evgeni acquired the dagger. It started to glow white hot in his hand, its temperature raising exponentially. He quickly destroyed it with his magic. Azulra called off her demons, frustrated with the two's actions. That's when Ptolemos' body began to move. The skin, it seemed, began to squirm beneath the robes. Soon, red ants erupted from them, tore through flesh. They left in a hurry, leaving the magically constructed false Ptolemos to dissolve away. Ptolemos' voice then spoke to them. He told them the dagger they destroyed was a mere copy before revealing his plan: to utilize the power of the Dragonkin and cast himself back through the currents of Time where, with the assistance of the mahjarratbane dagger, he would murder Zamorak and assume his role in history. With the knowledge of the future and the elder weapons taken from Zamorak, Ptolemos then plans to challenge the Empty Lord and become a god. Gotta Get Back in Time The ancient Dragonkin site stirred to life once Ptolemos placed the ancient effigy into the mechanism. The anti-magic field surrounding the site immediately fell away, dispelled; the earth groaned beneath his feet as if waking from a long slumber; the arch leading into the wall started to glow and emit a pleasant humming sound. In that moment, Ptolemos knew what it felt to be happy. He reveled in his success and the excitement in the air before reluctantly facing reality. The ritual required his full attention and a considerable amount of his power. Any interruption could cost him everything. Ptolemos needed to prepare. He began by weaving a number of powerful wards around the cavern, and then set up a number of deadly magical traps. Even then he was still unsatisfied. He decided a force of his own was necessary, and knew just the person that could lead it. After creating his forces, Ptolemos grew aware that Azulra had died. He sought out Arachnea, Evgeni, and Xolotl telepathically, and asked them if it was true. They confirmed it. Ptolemos had mixed feelings: although he saw it as a waste of power, he couldn't help but feel relieved knowing it meant one less nuisance in the world. He retreated from them and back to the matter at hand. While resting, Ptolemos sensed a disturbance on an outer plane. He went to investigate and found Yokrad and Drok, two members of the Chosen Battalion, had somehow been transported to Yu'biusk. Ptolemos took the form of an ourg spirit and, figuring he could use this to his advantage, bade them welcome. He wasn't aware that Yokrad wore the reconstructed pendant of Bandos. It forced him to reveal his true form to the two, who both recognized him from their encounter not too long ago. Drok started to attack, but was scolded by Yokrad. Ptolemos came clean with them about his purpose: he wanted to purchase a few goblins from them. They bargained until Yokrad seemingly agreed on a price. Ptolemos told them he'd bring them their gold and tried to teleport, but found himself unable to. Yokrad suggested he take the portal they came from. As Ptolemos approached the portal, it exploded. The force knocked him off his feet and hurled him through the air. It was a trick! Yokrad had been ordered by the pendant to kill him. Drok prepared a spell while Yokrad was taken over by the pendant. Ptolemos got to his feet, preparing his own spell. They fought for awhile, neither side gaining a foothold until it neared its end. After several attempts, Ptolemos managed to remove the pendant from Yokrad; however, he failed to prevent Drok from putting it on. Through their combined efforts, Ptolemos was defeated, and submerged beneath goop. The two Bandosians left through a portal spawned from the power of the pendant. Once they were gone, Ptolemos crawled out of the goop, his pride equally wounded as his body. He retreated to the ancient Dragonkin site to lick his wounds. A Matter of Family The following text is taken directly from Ptolemos' notes, copied verbatim: 19 Bennath, Year 1 of the Sixth Age. My uncle "visited" today. I was alerted to his presence when he had one of his creatures pass through my nexus. I deactivated my traps so that he could pass through unhindered. I was being courteous at the time, but knowing what I know now, I would've kept them up for him to discover himself. A part of me hoped we could work something out, something that could benefit us both. That wasn't the case. He continued down the tunnel and found the dead dragon, which he took. I don't mind; after draining it of its blood, I have no further need of it. After that, he went back to following the tunnel. I laughed when he tried to locate me. Of course, his attempt failed because of a clever system I devised myself: utilizing a simple windup music box of dwarven make, I warped the noise it produced with my magic to "drown out" any sort of divining act, as well as other things. He teleported directly to the music box, and wasn't very happy with what he saw. I thought it was hilarious. We started to talk, mostly about family matters. I wonder if he took what I said about my mother to heart. It's been so long ago, and yet I remember it as if it were yesterday... But the past is the past; I've accepted what happened and so must he. As we neared the end of our conversation, he made me an offer: I join his family, and with them, start a war among the Mahjarrat. I declined; after all, I'll have my own war to fight soon enough. He didn't take it very well, and asked about my plans. I told him, and he figured I might resurrect the late Azulra. The very idea...it's preposterous! I gave him an ultimatum, as I gave the others: try to intervene, and I'll be forced to kill him. He said he couldn't allow me to go through with it and attacked. As if I hadn't expected him to turn on me. I evaded his trap and summoned Death Knight Rosaline and her skeletal warriors. He withdrew into the shadow realm and summoned more of his shadow creatures. While she ordered her men to attack, Rosaline stayed behind to protect me. Even in death, she serves me wholly. It's rare to find such devotion among humans, less so the undead. I'll admit it was rather challenging to fight back while he was hiding in the shadow realm. I'll need to find a way around that in case he every tries again. While our forces fought, he kept launching several shadow spells at me before trying to stab me in the back. Fortunately, Rosaline heard him above the noise of battle and threw herself in front of the attack. Her wound wasn't terrible, but it prevented her from participating in the remainder of the battle. I'll be sure to mend it later. Oh, I shouldn't forget how he tried to trick me with shadow illusions of Arachnea, Evgeni, and Azulra. They didn't work as well as he thought they would. Arachnea and Evgeni wouldn't have stood around, hurling insults at me. No, they'd have tried to kill me straight away. I don't even need to explain why the latter failed. At this point, I grew irritated. I had the skeletal warriors withdraw close to me, and then erected a magical shield around us. Then I woke the slumbering stone golem I created specifically to guard against other Mahjarrat. I must confess that I hadn't planned on awakening it so soon, if ever. It's a last resort because of the simple fact that it's made to attack Mahjarrat indiscriminately—including me. My uncle must've gotten tired of trying to kill me because he left soon after my construct emerged. Perhaps it scared him? Either way, I guess he thought he could destroy me and the ruins by having his creatures explode. They did little harm, apart from injuring some of the skeletal warriors and disabling the golem. I ought to go reinforce my magical defenses now. Not that I doubt my own power, of course. His Purpose Revealed Ptolemos was manipulating the portal's energies when he heard someone calling for him. The voice was familiar. Arachnea. She was in the ruins, probably in one of the outlying tunnels. Ptolemos answered her call, using magic to extend the reach of his voice. He greeted her and wondered why she had come. They exchanged words metaphorically before Ptolemos invited her further, if she dared. She was unafraid and proceeded. Arachnea walked through the tunnels unhindered as Ptolemos' defenses were deactivated. She passed through the nexus and eventually found the area where the dead dragon had been stored. She investigated the blood-filled vials and, after realizing what it was, took one for herself before continuing onward. Arachnea then discovered another small windup music box, similiar to the one Yoral found before. She examined it before leaving her mark on it. Up ahead was Ptolemos, his attention fixed on the portal. Death Knight Rosaline was beside him, her fiery gaze upon Arachnea. A shimmering magical barrier seperated them, as well as a line of skeletal warriors. Ptolemos welcomed her and asked why she had come. This sparked a conversation that would last for some time. Arachnea wanted to know what he was planning, saying the others had differing opinions on it. Ptolemos was eager to explain himself: he told her his stance on Zaros and Zamorak, and why they didn't deserve to be worshipped. He claimed their kin were too blinded by their faith to realize how they were being used by the gods, how Zaros and Zamorak were acting selfishly and not for the benefit of the Mahjarrat. She asked how he meant to rectify this. Ptolemos responded by gesturing at the portal behind him. Ptolemos explained his plan to use the powerful relic of the Dragonkin to cast himself back in time to the point where Zamorak was still a mortal. Once there, he'd strike Him down with the mahjarratbane and assume his form. With the assistance of the elder weapons, he'd go on to become a god by defeating Zaros and absorbing His power. All of this had been said before, but only now did Ptolemos reveal his true purpose: the unchaining of the Mahjarrat. It was necessary for him to become a god. The only way he could rid Gielinor of the other gods was to become one, Ptolemos reasoned. History would be changed; the manipulative gods would be gone, and the Mahjarrat would be left unchallenged to rule over the realm, as was their right. Arachnea was skeptical. She doubted he could go through with it. Ptolemos, on the other hand, believed he was the only one capable. The others, he reiterated, had too much faith in their gods. He then reaffirmed her that he would do what needed to be done to make sure he succeeds; a subtle threat, should she try to stop him. Arachnea was not like his uncle, however, and told him she was going to watch how it played out. Ptolemos thanked her, relieved he wouldn't have to fight again. After finishing their discussion, Arachnea teleported out of the ruins, taking the windup music box with her. Death Knight Rosaline insisted that he should've killed her while she was there. Ptolemos dismissed her comment and ordered her to get another music box. Appearance Ptolemos, when in his rejuvenated form, stands at 8', and has a heavyset build garbed in flowing red robes. His face was once stripped bare of all but bone; however, following a successful rejuvenation, his dark brown pearlescent flesh has grown back, complete with yellow marking and stripes. Atop his oblong head is a gold circlet where, in its center, is a rich golden heliodor gem with a winking cat's eye. Beneath it, lining his brow, are similar, though smaller, gems. His angular cheekbones and prominent chin are offset by his close-set eyes that have black sclera and red irises. The right sleeve of his robes is sewn shut above the wrist; his right hand is missing after he deliberately cut it off. Personality Ptolemos is known for his arrogance, short-temper, and weak disposition. In truth, he's nothing but desperate, although he'll never be caught admitting it. He's grown distrustful of other Mahjarrat over the centuries, and tries to avoid them unless they have the potential to become assets. Consequently, he doesn't have many allies and therefore dedicates time to gaining support through other means. Being cold, calculating, and manipulative is common practice for him when engaging with others whose services he might exploit. Ptolemos has no love for either Zaros or Zamorak. He aligns himself with other Zamorakians purely because he won't worship a beaten god—one defeated by one of his own kind, no less! Abilities Ptolemos is of modest power amongst the remaining Mahjarrat. He has all the abilities akin to his race, such as telepathy and shape-shifting, and a successful rejuvenation has only empowered him with newfound strength. His arsenal of spells is vast, as well as his knowledge of the past. Despite his bulk, however, difficulties arise whenever he's a part of close combat. In recent times, Ptolemos has experimented with the denizens of the Abyss. After several trials and errors, which resulted in the deaths and disappearances of at least dozen chaos monks, he succeeded in subduing a type of Abyssal monster not unlike an ant. Ptolemos used his magic to warp the creature until it became docile and capable of self-replication, at the expense of an extremely shortened life span. Through trial-and-error, Ptolemos learned the tune bane ore spell. He then created mahjarratbane, using his own severed hand to tune the precious ore. Related Pages *He Opened His Eyes - A series of drabbles about Ptolemos. *Misgivings of a Cleric - A short story related to Ptolemos. *Hand of Ptolemos - Coming soon! *Yurlungur 'Yoral' Neraka - Ptolemos' uncle. *Azulra Neraka - Ptolemos' cousin. Gallery Ritual1.png|Ptolemos manipulating the Ancient Dragonkin Site's portal. Ptolemos9.png|Ptolemos moments before... PtolemosWTF2.png|"You? What are you- Get that blasted device out of my face!" PtolemosWTF4.png|A statue of Ptolemos. Rekhyt1.png|The Emissary, one of Ptolemos' guises. Ptolemos7.png|Ptolemos masquerading as the Emissary. Kemses.png|Kemses, a Mahjarrat and Ptolemos' ally. Chaos1.png|A symbol similar in appearance to the magical ward cast over the Glacor cavern's entrance. Rosaline1.png|Death Knight Rosaline in front of Ptolemos' statue. Trivia *He didn't attend the last six rituals of rejuvenation (pre-2012 Ritual). *Click here to listen to Ptolemos' theme. Category:Characters Category:Male Category:Mahjarrat Category:Zamorakian Category:Mage Category:Modern Magic user Category:Ancient Magic user Category:Dark Magic user Category:Neutral Category:Evil Category:Neraka Tribe